The Thinker

I have really enjoyed the out of class reading of Coming to Your Senses. The chapter this week on sculpture was eye-opening because it gave a brief history on some of the most famous sculptors. I really liked the work of Auguste Rodin. I had always liked the sculpture The Thinker, but had not known it was made by him.

I love it because it displays a man all alone, deep in contemplation. He has some deep problem to solve, and realizes he must do it on his own, and that it is all up to him. It is similar to the photo of Kennedy titled “The Loneliest Job in the World” which portrays him hunched over in the Oval Office, deep in thought.

It was taken at the peak of the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was standing in contemplation at the window of the Oval Office with the fate of the country resting on his shoulders. He realized that it was all up to him and him only as the sole person with the power to resolve the conflict. He was unsure of what to do, so all that he could do was think and think and think. Both Kennedy and The Thinker seem grim, realizing the gravity of the situation they are in. We know what was on Kennedy’s mind, but I always wonder what The Thinker is deep in thought about. Whatever situation he is in seems like it must be as grim as Kennedy’s, as there is no semblance of a smile on his face.  

These images are powerful to me because I can relate to them. There are times where there is some seemingly insurmountable problem in my way and all I can do is be alone and think, stretching every corner of my brain for the perfect solution. I can relate to their isolation, as I like to do my thinking and problem solving on my own and have a hard time accepting advice or outside help. While I may not have situations with the gravity of the Cuban Missile Crisis, I do get pretty grim and serious when I am thinking, and therefore can relate to that as well. It is fun for me to be able to see works of art and relate them to myself and other things I have seen. This is one of the reasons I have enjoyed this class so much.